When Sanoma Learning set out to build a unified HR system for the entire organization, it faced an ambitious and extensive change project. Klarigo played a role in making it a success.
Sanoma Learning provides educational materials and services to schools. Sanoma Learning operates as part of the larger Sanoma Group, whose headquarters is located in Helsinki. The company has operations in several European countries. Sanoma Learning is a leading player, consisting of various companies acquired over the last years. For this reason the company’s HR systems were fragmented across countries and business units. In some countries, there was no HR system in use at all.
Launched in 2022, the major project aimed to implement Workday across the group, harmonize and optimize HR processes, automate selected tasks, and most importantly, improve both the employee experience and leadership culture in ways that deliver business value. Barbara Barnhoorn, Director of HR Operations at Sanoma Learning, explains that the project required strong expertise, a practical mindset, and the ability to respond to constantly evolving needs.
Since Workday was new to Sanoma Learning, they also needed someone capable of training employees to use the system effectively. “I was looking for an expert with broad Workday experience who could quickly understand our processes and ways of working,” Barnhoorn says. “We needed someone to build a comprehensive training plan, identify stakeholder-specific learning needs, create materials, and work closely with HR, IT, and Communications.”
That’s when Klarigo entered the picture.
“We gained expertise that we didn’t have”
Sanoma Learning found Klarigo consultants through the Pontoon platform, and Leading Consultant Minna Laukkanen stepped in to support the project. She joined as an external consultant in summer 2022.
Minna started as a training lead, but as the project progressed, she quickly took on new
responsibilities. That came as no surprise — Minna is a true multi-talent, with expertise in Workday’s Recruitment, Learning, and Performance Management modules.
“Through Klarigo, we gained expertise and experience that we didn’t have in-house. Minna began training our staff, but soon also took the lead on the recruitment module implementation and worked as a technical expert,” Barnhoorn explains.
In addition to recruitment, Klarigo supported the rollout of a global performance management model, the implementation of the Workday Learning module, as well as testing, troubleshooting, and developing an HR support model.
Barnhoorn describes Minna as a real team player who, despite being an external consultant, worked as one of Sanoma Learning’s own employees. “In practice, Minna was a full member of our team. She participated in all meetings, team days, and planning sessions. We had a flexible model where her workload varied depending on the project phase, but collaboration always ran smoothly,” says Barnhoorn.
Minna also found the collaboration with Sanoma rewarding. She enjoyed applying her broad expertise in an international environment and continuing to grow professionally. The assignment at Sanoma Learning lasted nearly three years. Toward the end of the project, Minna’s main task was to ensure a smooth handover by training internal employees to become the new system experts.
“I can recommend Klarigo to everyone”
The collaboration between Klarigo and Sanoma was a true business-oriented partnership. In addition to Minna, Klarigo also provided support for HR project testing on short notice. “Klarigo has the ability to adapt to our needs and respond quickly to changes. Everything was handled flexibly and without issues,” Barnhoorn notes. She particularly appreciated Klarigo’s role both as an expert and as an engaged team member.“Klarigo’s consultant was invaluable to us. She was a trainer, a trusted partner in discussions, and above all, a reliable team member whose contribution was essential to the success of the implementation phase.”
When asked whether Sanoma would consider working with Klarigo again, Barnhoorn has no hesitation:
“Absolutely. The experience was extremely positive, and I can wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone.”
Photo: Minna Laukkanen